Fair Trade Musical Goods

Santa Barbara Independent
Thursday, May 3, 2007
By Josef Woodard

These seemingly disparate artists do share certain traits. Both have bravely forged their way onto the scene in recent years, during which time jazz has grown more fickle and treacherous for newcomers. Both have also recently released albums as strong as any in their catalogues to date?—?Sutton's On the Other Side (Telarc) and The Bad Plus's stubbily titled and big-idea-wielding Prog (Do the Math/Heads Up).

The S.B. Fair & Expo offered adventures on the Ferris Wheel and in the musical arena.

Stereotypes can be deceiving. Sutton's approach is actually risky and experimental, applying unexpected twists to her home-base Great American Songbook. Meanwhile, The Bad Plus can be melodic and (Bohemian) rhapsodic at times. For examples of the former and the latter, check out their new cover versions of Tears for Fears's "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and Burt Bacharach's "This Guy's in Love with You."

Sutton has a deep, almost uncanny connection with the Lobero. The Bad Plus put on an amazing show there late in 2005, and while the crowd was modest, all present appeared to be aware of something magical in the house. Both of these shows promise to be of the must-see-if-possible variety for discerning jazz lovers with open minds and hearts.

FAIR NOTES, SMELLS: It may not officially belong to the grand and funky tradition of the American County Fair (the official S.B. County Fair happens in Santa Maria come summertime), but the Fair & Expo, in its 18th annual landing last weekend at Earl Warren Showgrounds, is ours, and we love it. Where else can you bask in the aroma of livestock within city limits or see jumbo-horned Watusi cattle? This year's Wild West theme seemed redundant, but then one had to wonder where the (country &) western music was at. We did hear some earnest singer/songwriters and a surprisingly decent early Genesis tribute band called Gabble Ratchet, with the required blend of musical chops and nerdy fetishism to do the job correctly.

But the F&E's musical high point took place in the arena on Sunday evening, where ranchera star Pepe Aguilar?—?who played the Santa Barbara Bowl recently?—?headlined a long variety show. Warming up the crowd, a mini-rodeo featured a live band for the horseplay, bull-riding, and rope-twirling. In the band were saxes, trumpets, and two drummers, including timbales and cymbal, which were used to highlight the dramatic moment when a bucked rider struck the dirt. A hopeful rider perched over el toro while the brass band pumped away. He genuflected and hopped on the wily beast as the gate burst open and all kinds of convulsive, adrenaline-fueled hell broke loose. That's entertainment!

Further entertainment came in the form of crooner Aguilar, whose sharp mariachi band played onstage while the singer did his business on a sideways-walking horse. Aguilar sang his heart out and sweetly bonded with the audience, even swigging beer from their plastic cups. All's fair at the Fair.

TO-DOINGS: On short notice, electronic-contemporary-computer music legend Morton Subotnick arrives at UCSB tonight, to speak about life, music, and a virtually brand-spanking-new piano piece, "The Other Piano," to be performed by the great Los Angeles-based and new music-minded pianist Vicki Ray. The talk-performance is at 7 p.m. at Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall, and it's free. What are you waiting or sitting in front of your TV for? (Got e? fringebeat@independent.com.)

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 World Fair Trade Day

- May 03, 2007

World Fair Trade Day, May 12, 10 to 5 pm..(Submitted Photo)

Berkshire Fine Handcrafts will be celebrating World Fair Trade Day (WFTD) on Saturday, May 12 with World Music, Free Refreshments, and all Fair Trade items discounted 10%. Located 431 North St., open 10:00 to 5:00.

WFTD is celebrated every second Saturday of May, and is endorsed by the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT), the global association of Fair Trade Organizations, comprised of 300 organizations from 70 countries around the world. This year's theme is "Kids and Fair Trade".

This World Fair Trade Day calls on all of us to celebrate Fair Trade Organizations, buy more Fair Trade goods through Fair Trade stores, Fair Trade catalogues and campaign groups and encourage conventional companies to sell more Fair Trade products.

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Cobourg student looks at life in Ecuador

Cecilia Nasmith
Local News - Thursday, May 03, 2007 @ 09:00

A Cobourg student has just returned from a firsthand look at sociopolitical conditions in Ecuador as part of a Trent University exchange program.

Patrick Clark, who was involved with the social-justice group at Cobourg District Collegiate Institute East during his high-school days, is entering his fourth year at Trent in the international-development program. His time in Ecuador (from last October until only last week) was a good fit, with both academic and placement components.

"The academic component was a great program," Mr. Clark said in a recent interview. "I had a professor from Bolivia who did a lot of field work in the community, and she had a really great perspective."

He was also impressed with his two Ecuadorean professors, one of whom is in the new government of Rafael Correa. While Ecuador has not experienced civil war, it has had political instability. The country's nationalistic new president has proposed what Mr. Clark sees as some positive constitutional changes.

Mr. Clark's placement was with Fapecafes, a big co-operative of small coffee producers who sell their product to Fair Trade-certified, organic and conventional buyers in Europe and Canada. And his role was in research.

"These are very, very small family-farm coffee producers who have maybe five to 20 acres. They are exporting their coffee through this program, and I was doing research to better understand how they felt about Fair Trade and their participation in the system," he said.

The co-operative was only founded five years ago. Before that, these small farmers sold their coffee through a system of intermediaries, and the prices were far more unstable.

"Now they get a standard price, which has been increasing every year as they get into the Fair Trade market - and they're about 80 per cent of the way there."

Working against the Fair Trade system are the economic and political clout of those intermediaries. Some of the farmers have a hard time breaking off these relationships.

"Of course, (Fair Trade) is a better system to be involved with, but there's a lot of work still to be done in terms of making sure the people understand the system and feel they can participate - and want to participate," Mr. Clark said.

"Fair Trade is benefiting a lot of farmers now, but there are still a lot of farmers who are not benefiting from that system.

"It's better than selling conventionally, because they also have more control over the process and are more directly connected with consumers. But we also have to address the fact that most small coffee farmers don't have access and are still getting very low prices.

"We have to address the small farmers who are outside the Fair Trade system. To me, that involves changes with global-trade rules and laws."

Obviously there's a long way to go, Mr. Clark agreed, but small steps are being taken.

Back in Cobourg for the summer, Mr. Clark continues to be involved in social justice through his job at Horizons of Friendship. Right now, much of his time is taken up in planning for the 10th annual Homes, Gardens and Music tour July 8, a vital fundraiser. It brought in $13,000 last year, which becomes all the more important since these proceeds are matched by the Canadian International Development Agency.

Mr. Clark will also be involved in planning Horizons's summer-film series, which should roll out in August. Details on the film series should be available soon.

And tickets for the Homes, Gardens and Music tour - along with details on the homes, gardens and music - should be available even sooner. cnasmith@northumberlandtoday.com

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Café Mam, a coffee importer based in Eugene, has been buying beans from the same cooperative growers in Mexico and Guatemala since 1989.

And, even though fair trade standards had not yet been adopted for products sold in the United States, Café Mam followed the tenets of fair trade, said Brad Lerch, one of the company's owners.

It paid a fair price and traded directly with cooperatives of Mayan farmers who grew the coffee, Lerch said.

"They became our friends and our trading partners," he said. "We're in it to promote these indigenous people, really.

"They're living a lifestyle in harmony with the earth, and it's definitely cultural preservation to trade fairly."

The fair trade movement, well-established in Europe, is just gaining momentum in the United States.

But Whole Foods' recent announcement of plans to buy competitor Wild Oats and have half its imported products be fair trade certified within 10 years spells tremendous growth for fair trade products in the next few years, said Mathieu Senard, spokesman for Alter Eco.

The company, which was founded in Paris in 1998, imports fair trade certified coffee, tea, rice, sugar, quinoa and chocolates from around the world.

"It's a new concept, so it takes a little (while) for consumers to understand what fair trade really means," Senard said. "But once they understand and they've tasted the products ... then sales will grow exponentially because people like what they see and what they taste."

With fair trade labels showing up on a growing number of products, two local natural foods stores, Sundance and Capella, figured it's a good time to educate consumers about fair trade.

The stores are sponsoring a free seminar on the topic tonight, and have invited as panelists Café Mam; Alter Eco; Equal Exchange, an importer of food products; Alaffia, which imports shea butter from west Africa for body care products; and Peru Puppets, an importer of handmade finger puppets.

Fair trade "is about having an impact here across the world through our choices and how we spend our dollars," said Ron Leppert, Sundance's grocery buyer.

"Anybody who wants to vote with their dollar or have an impact with their dollar ... needs to find out about this."

The label, "Fair Trade Certified," which shows a black-and-white figure holding baskets in both hands, indicates that a product has met international fair trade standards for fair prices, fair labor conditions and environmental sustainability. The label also indicates that the product has been certified by TransFair USA.

The nonprofit TransFair USA, which is the only independent, third-party certifier in the United States, began certifying fair trade coffee in 1999.

Now it also certifies imported tea, herbs, cocoa and chocolate, fresh fruit, sugar, rice and vanilla sold in the United States.

Fair trade products can cost

more than products without the certification.

Café Mam's fair trade organic French roast coffee, for example, sold Tuesday for $7.99 a pound at a local grocery store, while a similarly labeled Equal Exchange coffee cost $8.49 a pound.

Cascade Estate, a different brand of organic French roast - not certified fair trade - cost $6.99 a pound.

But a growing number of shoppers are willing to pay the extra, if it means better lives for the farmers who grew the beans in developing countries throughout the world, supporters of fair trade say.

Fair trade certified coffee is the fastest-growing segment of the $11 billion U.S. specialty coffee market, according to TransFair USA.

On average, that segment has grown almost 80 percent every year since 1999.

Fair trade is about much more than just a fair price, said Olowo-n'djo Tchala, owner of Alaffia, which pays 20 percent to 30 percent more than the going price to import shea butter from Togo, where Tchala grew up. He also channels 10 percent of revenues back to Togo.

Tchala is based in Olympia, where he mixes the shea butter into a line of fair trade body care products that he sells to natural foods stores along the West Coast and online.

"I want the people to think beyond just the issue of paying fair prices, but think about the social aspects of the community itself," he said.

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Java Justice

A new book examines what it'll take to make fair trade fair.
By Nathalie Jordi

05/02/2007: Press Release from Dean's Beans Organic Coffee Company

Dean's Beans Raises the Bar for Trade Justice with Two New Agreements

Company further supports trade justice in Peru and Ethiopia

A fair shake on trade

By Carol Coultas , Business Writer
Sunday, April 29, 2007

Pete Connell knows a trade violation when he sees one.

The president of Oxford Homes, he's seen the Maine manufactured-housing industry reel since tariffs were lifted between Canada and the U.S. in 1998. He and other Maine manufacturers have seen 50 percent of their market share go to Canadian companies, while they have been unable to crack that northern market.

Particularly galling are the illegal laborers who cross the border and install homes for less than their American counterparts, he said.

"The evidence-gathering is the responsibility of the victim," said Connell, noting that when he sees illegal installers putting up manufactured homes, he contacts immigration authorities.

"But (the Immigration and Naturalization Service) doesn't come, or they come four days later," he said.

To Connell, the issue of fair trade has obvious ramifications for him and his 150 workers. It's hard to compete on price when your competitors to the north don't have to pay health care or workers' compensation costs. Last October he had to lay off 26 workers.

But Connell understands it's complex. He's been probing the depths of that issue since joining the Maine Citizens Trade Policy Commission three years ago. It isn't just fair wages, comparable environmental laws, and duty taxes anymore. Unless challenged, global trade can undermine the economic underpinnings of the state, he said.

"It's a tremendously complicated issue," Connell said. "We're doing business with giants that have some tremendous advantages."

It was a message brought home to Maine lawmakers last week by Alan Tonelson, an analyst and trade policy expert with the U.S. Business Industry Council, who addressed the Legislature at the commission's invitation.

"Our trade policy is failing Maine," Tonelson told a Sun Journal editorial board in advance of his Augusta speech. "If something is not done soon, our production base - the wealth-creating part of the American economy - well ... it's hard to imagine our economy going forward."

Federal trade representatives, who negotiate free trade agreements, historically turn a deaf ear to states. The commission, under the direction of Lewiston state Sen. Peggy Rotundo and Rumford state Rep. John Patrick, attempts to give Mainers a voice in those discussions.

Fair trade fairs

Apr 28, 2007 04:30 AM

Fair Trade Sales Boost

Radio New Zealand News
Posted at 1:24pm on 29 Apr 2007

Copyright © 2007 Radio New Zealand

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Shopping your faith

Fair trade program gives Pathways United Methodist Church a chance to market international items to help their creators.



Linda Leicht
News-Leader


For Diana Hagewood Smith, the colorful, hand-crafted items on display at her church today provide a tangible way to act out her Christian faith.

A member of Pathways United Methodist Church, Smith and others in the church's women's group are sponsoring A Greater Gift sale today, with items made by men and women around the world and marketed through a program called fair trade.

Fair trade is a concept that includes respect for cultural identity, the environment and ethical business practices that guarantee fair prices and safe working conditions.

A Greater Gift is a ministry of SERRV (Sales Exchange for Refugee Rehabilitation and Vocation) International, an agency started by the Brethren to help refugees in post-World War II Europe. Today, A Greater Gift includes products from around the world.

"They produce and market in a socially responsible way, without using child labor," said Smith.

"To be Christian is to love God and your neighbor. This is a concrete way to do that. It's how you treat people."

Many ways to help

Last week, Smith, Dennise Ridinger and others in their women's group unpacked the large cardboard boxes filled with handcrafted baskets, pottery, birdhouses, toys and more.

They oohed and they aahed as they picked out items from exotic places like Indonesia, Haiti, Vietnam and Nepal.

This is the second year the church group has held the sale, and they hope it will grow each year.

Last year, the money raised went to churches damaged by Hurricane Katrina. This year, they will look for a program that supports women, Ridinger said.

The women are mindful that the sale provides many ways to help others.

"It helps farmers preserve the environment and it is respectful of their culture," said Smith.

"This was a chance to help women in foreign countries, in villages, who might be disabled or widows," said Ridinger.

Renee Gasch, a spokesperson for SERRV, said the agency markets the items through a network of about 400 stores across the country, as well as through churches and other organizations that host sales such as the one at Pathways.

The agency works with individuals, families and cooperatives — partners — in developing countries to help them establish prices that will cover their production costs and give them a "living wage," Gasch said.

SERRV pays the partners the "fair" price they set and then charges the buyers that price plus SERRV's costs for marketing, packaging and shipping. A 10 percent cushion is included in the recommended retail price to allow the church to raise money for its own outreach.

"It's very much about community, consensus building, working with your neighbors," Gasch said.

The principles of fair trade are important to Smith and Ridinger, but the beauty of the items is another important feature of the sale.

Before the boxes were unpacked, the women were already planning their own purchases. A Children of the World mobile from Sri Lanka struck Smith's fancy, while Ridinger was ready to take home some Divine Chocolate from Ghana.

Many of the items produced are family traditions, "passed down from generation to generation," said Gasch. "Many are produced in the same way their grandparents produced them."

Wide benefits

When Karen Eagle opened a small shop dedicated to religious books, gifts and supplies, she decided to include a few fair trade items as well.

She first learned about fair trade years earlier when she worked with campus ministries at Missouri State University. When Anna Sophia's opened in 2004, there were a few items from SERRV on display.

The store has grown to a larger location in the Brentwood Center and many gift items in the store come from several fair trade agencies.

"The products are just so great," Eagle said. "And the prices are great. The whole concept appealed to me."

She liked the idea of "doing business in a way that benefits everyone." By supporting fair trade organizations, she believes she is helping to "break the cycle of poverty" in developing countries.

Her offerings have expanded — to include Ven Art Crafts from Venezuela, note cards made with plants and flowers from Hope for Women in the Himalayas, gift bags that are artwork themselves from Bright Home International in Eastern Europe, and stone sculptures from Zimbabwe through a new company, Africanize.

"The response has been great," said Eagle. "That's why we continued to build that part of the store."

Most customers know knothing about fair trade when they come in, but the brochures and large posters draw their curiosity.

"Once you tell them that it is helping someone to prosper, they come back" and buy more, Eagle said.

"These items are unique, reasonably priced, and it's money well-spent."

For Eagle, as for the women of Pathways United Methodist, each item is also a demonstration of faith.

"It's part of the Christian message, to help others who are less fortunate than you," Eagle explained.

"Fair trade is one way we can do that."

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'I'm not an ethical bag': Sainsbury's 'green' bag not organic or fair trade

Last updated at 17:16pm on 27th April 2007

Comments (21)

The 'I'm not a plastic bag' bag became a must-have fashion item even before 20,000 of them sold out within an hour at Sainsbury's.

Women queued from 3am to get one of the £5 cotton bags made by designer Anya Hindmarch - they are now changing hands on eBay for £225.

At the first sales of the bag, Hindmarch said: "The idea was to create something that was really desirable to highlight ethical issues."

Today Sainsbury's was accused of hypocrisy after it admitted the bag was made in China and was neither organic nor fair trade.

The chairman of an influential Commons committee said Sainsbury's had "tarnished" its image as a promoter of fair trade products.

The bag, which sold 20,000 copies yesterday before 10am, is neither organic nor fair trade

A campaign group highlighting the exploitation of workers in the fashion industry said making the bag in China dented the bag's ethical claims.

The fact the bags have been sent thousands of miles from Asia raised questions about whether its carbon footprint is threatening to offset its environmental benefits.

A spokeswoman for the designer admitted the bag, billed as "making a difference to the world was "not perfect".

A Sainsbury's spokeswoman said: "While the bag is made in China it is not manufactured with 'cheap' labour nor does it exploit local workers."

The spokeswoman did not name the factory, but claimed: "The factory pays double the Chinese minimum wage for that province. The factory also complies with all aspects of Chinese labour law and works with an international human rights consultant who advises to review its operations."

The object of desire: One of the £5 Anya Hindmarch shopping bags

However, Martin Hearson, of pressure group Let's Clean Up Fashion, said: "This is bordering on the hypocritical-There is an incompatibility in claiming a product is ethical and manufacturing it in China."

According to the Fairtrade website, no cotton produced or manufactured in China is sanctioned for sale as fair trade.

Bagging a bargain: Crowds lined up at a Sainsbury's in Camden, North London, to buy one of the Anya Hindmarch eco-shoppers

Malcolm Bruce, chairman of the international development select committee, said: "This tarnishes Sainsbury's image as a company that supports fair trade. It should have made a positive attempt to ensure this does not come from potentially exploited sources."

Mr Hearson claimed workers in China's garment industry typically are paid 20p to 30p an hour. He also said cotton which is not fair trade is often picked by child labour.

The "I'm not a plastic bag" comes with a blue tag which explains the bag offers an alternative to plastic bags which "have a negative impact on the environment".

No profit is made from the sale of the bag.

The Sainsbury's spokeswoman added that because the bag was a branded product, made by Hindmarch, "we're not at liberty to disclose details on the supplier".

She also said: "I can confirm it (the factory) has been visited to ensure high standards of ethical trading."

A spokeswoman for Anya Hindmarch said the company made no secret that the bag was made in China, adding: "We never claimed this bag is perfect. We just tried to use our influence as a maker of luxury goods to make it fashionable not to use plastic bags."

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Local Golf Course Bags Fair Trade Certificate
27.04.2007

..> ..>De Zalze golf course, situated between Somerset West and Stellenbosch, was awarded Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) certification last month.

De Zalze, managed by the Spier Group and co-owned by Spier (75%) and Kleine Zalze (25%), is the first golf course in the world to be recognised for adherence to Fair Trade principles and criteria.

The certification follows that of the Spier Hotel which was the first luxury hotel in South Africa to be awarded FTTSA accreditation in 2004.

Jennifer Seif, executive director of FTTSA, said that while De Zalze is the first golf course to qualify for FTTSA certification, she is confident that this achievement would spark others in the golf sector to "improve their operations across the triple bottom line of social, economic and environmental performance".

Seif added: "It is often said that golf is elitist, bad for the environment, and a provider of poor quality casual jobs. De Zalze challenges these and other norms in the golf sector, through progressive human resource and supply chain development practices and through careful management of environmental resources on site.

"The course is not an exclusive enclave, but is open to the public and acts as a drawcard for local as well as international tourists. Golf tourists are a significant source of business for guest houses, hotels, restaurants, museums and retail outlets throughout the Stellenbosch Winelands region," she said.

Tanner Methvin, director of sustainable development at Spier, said all of the Spier Group's businesses - including De Zalze, Spier Wines, the Spier Hotel & Conference Centre and the leisure estate - are committed to embedding the ethos of sustainable development into business practice.

"The Spier Group has built innovative models for how business and development can succeed in harmony with our ecology and society. We are building Spier into a profitable, internationally recognised brand that fosters cutting edge, sustainable ways of living, learning and being," said Methvin.

The De Zalze golf course was designed by Peter Matkovitch, well-known for his "listen to the land" approach to designing environmentally-friendly golf courses. De Zalze has over the past four years consistently improved its position in the Golf Digest rankings, from 44th in 2002 to 23rd in 2006.

De Zalze has been rated one of three platinum courses in the Western Cape by Compleat Golfer magazine and in February 2007, achieved the service-oriented five star Golf Experience Award, joining only 14 courses out of the 437 in SA.

De Zalze Golf MD, Dave Hansen, is ecstatic that the course has achieved a first in terms of responsible tourism guidelines. "That we have received third party recognition for our efforts is an honour for De Zalze. We have always worked within the construct of social equity and environmental conservation in our approach to business," Hansen said.

The FTTSA Trademark, an independent symbol of fairness in the tourism industry, is awarded to tourism establishments that meet stringent criteria based on fair share, democracy, respect, reliability, transparency and sustainability.

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